Turbines in the East River and garbage dump windmills aren't the only way to bring renewable electricity to New York City. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer continues his early mayoral campaigning today with a proposal [PDF] to cover our city's schools with solar panels.
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Results tagged “scottstringer”
Let's Cover Our Schools In Solar Panels, Says Stringer
Stringer: There Is Too Much Box Blocking In SoHo
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has been concerned about cars blocking the box around town for years now, but with a mayoral election in the pipeline he's pulling the old issue out again for another spin. Today the Beep held a press conference to goad the Department of Transportation into doing something about the permanent gridlock that envelopes SoHo—especially Broome Street—come rush hour every day. "For residents of the SoHo and Hudson Square communities, horn honking has become the lullaby of lower Broadway," Stringer quipped. See what he did there?
Family Of 12-Year-Old Killed On Delancey Raising Money For Funeral
The grandmother of 12-year-old Dashane Santana, who was struck and killed by a car crossing Delancey Street last week, is in the midst of raising the $8,500 for Dashane's funeral while she grieves for her granddaughter. "Right now we need about $3,000 by Tuesday," Teresa Pedroza tells us. "It's coming in little by little." Pedroza has sold candy and gone door-to-door asking for donations, which yielded around $600. She hopes that two fundraisers she's organizing, one today and another tomorrow, will be enough. "All this is out of the blue. Her birthday is in February—we're supposed to be celebrating that. Now I'm planning a funeral."
Brooklyn Jewelry Store Defends Swastika Earrings As Politicians Pile On
After news of a Greenpoint jewelry store selling swastika earrings made news yesterday, area politicians wasted no time heaping on the outrage. It's good red meat for the base, but there's just one problem: the symbol—which as we noted yesterday, predates the Nazis by thousands of years—isn't the same one that Hitler used. There has been plenty of analysis about this, but if you look closely (below), the differences are undeniable. Whereas the Nazi symbol is angled in the shape of a diamond, the symbol when used in Tibetan Buddhism is oriented as a square. And, more importantly, the branches of the symbol are reversed for the Nazi sign. But whatever, outrage!
Shocking: A Wal-Mart Would Shut Down Many Harlem Grocers
In addition to providing fantastic Rollback prices on that Chronicles of Riddick: Director's Cut DVD you've been eyeing, Wal-Mart also rolls back the number of local businesses around its turf. A recent report [pdf] released by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office indicates that the opening of a Wal-Mart on 125th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem would shut down 25% of grocers nearby. It's survival of the fittest: those who don't provide inexpensive tubes of raspberry-chipotle cheese-filled sausage product must let nature take its course.
Scott Stringer Wants To Bar Discriminating Against Unemployed
Besides the absence of baby pigeons, one of life's great mysteries is that in many cases you need to be gainfully employed so that someone else will hire you. No one likes a layabout, especially human resource departments who would rather not see that CRITICAL gap in your LinkedIn profile. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer tells the Daily News that such discrimination "is an outrageous bias that has no place in New York," and says he will lobby city council and Albany for a bill banning the practice.
Downtowners Disgusted By Drumming, Defecation From Occupy Wall Street
"These protesters are destroying our neighborhood. This 'good neighbor' policy? Good neighbors pay rent!" A smattering of applause was swallowed by a chorus of boos after 26-year-old Frank Calvosa spoke at last night's CB 1 Quality of Life Committee meeting. Calvosa was one of around ten people who spoke condemning Occupy Wall Street's presence in Lower Manhattan, and they were outnumbered. Resident Garrett McConnell took the mic shortly after: "Who are these people who live in Manhattan expecting peace and quiet? New York is loud, dirty, and fabulous!"
Manhattan's Stalled Construction Sites Could Become Urban Oases
There are currently more than 600 stalled construction sites around NYC according to the Department of Buildings, and given the moribund economy, it doesn't look like they'll unstall anytime soon. So in the meantime, why don't we do turn lemons into lemonade, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants to know! He's shining a spotlight on the 129 stalled construction sites in Manhattan, and according to his new "Arrested Development" report, 37% of these sites had problems with litter, 60% had fencing that was in disrepair or vandalized, and half of the sites had sidewalk obstructions. 100% of them are butt ugly.
Stuyvesant Alums End Up Getting Stuyvesant Space To Remember 9/11
Last week, Stuyvesant High School graduates revealed that both Stuyvesant High School and Battery Park City Authority officials had reneged on earlier promises to offer space to remember 9/11. Now, after press coverage (and pressure?) and the involvement of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, things have changed.
Scarlett Johansson Looooves Scott Stringer, Will Make Sweet Ads With Him
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants to be mayor if Old Moneybags ever cedes the gilded throne, and did you know he's a compelling candidate? We say that not just because he was on the right side of the Central Park cyclist crackdown, but also because dreamy starlet Scarlet Johansson is joining his campaign. Which will focus about important issues, one assumes. Has anyone really been following along until now?
Is 311 Letting Complaints Slip Through The Cracks?
There is something fishy with 311's web portal and Manhattan Borough President (and mayoral hopeful) Scott Stringer is pissed. Later today Stringer will be giving a press conference to bemoan the fact that dozens of pothole complaints his office put into 311's website seemed to have disappeared without the potholes ever being fixed. "If the complaint line is losing complaints, it's not doing taxpayers much good," Stringer says. "The complaints are just gone, as if they never existed."
2013 Mayoral Hopefuls Are Already Raising Piles Of Cash
The next election is way off, but pols hungry to replace our diminutive billionaire mayor from Boston are already lining up to raise funds. And, with Anthony Weiner out of the picture, one candidate is distinctly leading the pack. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn raised $1.32 million dollars in the past six months, bringing her campaign's total to $4 million.
SLA Raids Gay Bar During Gay Marriage Celebration
An unannounced police and State Liquor Authority inspection at the Eagle, a "leather and Levis" gay bar in Chelsea, in the midst of celebrations over the legalization of gay marriage is raising eyebrows about the timing of the raid.
29 Days Till Gay Marriages Begin In New York
Last night not only did the New York State Senate finally pass the marriage equality bill, Governor Andrew Cuomo managed to sign it into law at 11:55 p.m. Since the law will go into effect after 30 days, New York should start seeing legal same-sex marriages by late July.
Now You Can See Exactly Where Your City Taxes Go
Earlier this year President Obama promised, and delivered, a Federal Taxpayer Receipt that would let you see exactly where your tax dollars were going on a federal level. Now, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office has produced a localized version of the same idea that will show you exactly how your taxes are spent in New York City. Did you know that 0.08 percent of your taxes go towards the Department of Sanitation's snow budget?
Photos: Angry Plebes Protest Banks, Bloomberg As Wall Street Swells Sip Champagne
Did your mimosa taste a tad sour yesterday? In the crisp mid-afternoon light, lower Manhattan saw thousands of union members, concerned citizens, and their children gather to protest the imminent firing of 4,100 teachers, the Bloomberg administration, and Wall Street's exploitation of government to the detriment of the lower and middle class. Heady subjects for such a gorgeous, apathy-inspiring afternoon, the rally's tone was not one of rage but of stirring confidence that the participants' voices would be heard. Despite whatever was on the bull's balls, anarchy was not in the air.
Mayor Bloomberg Does Not Think We Have A Rat Problem
The city's Health Department has short-staffed its Pest Control team and the number of rat complaints are reportedly rising, so naturally Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer called a press conference today to talk about the problem. Specifically he wanted the city to man up and "reclaim the honor of being a national role model for rat control." But that bit of grandstanding by the mayoral-hopeful did not sit well with the guy who is currently not-actually-living in Gracie Mansion.
Fifth Avenue By Central Park Now Officially The East Side
Last week, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer noticed that there was some perplexing signage on bus stops along Fifth Avenue extending from 110th to 59th Street, identifying the streets as West, not East. Technically, the signs were correct, sitting in the western zone of the street grid, but Stringer argued that they should be changed to better reflect their actual position, and not confuse tourists. And yesterday, an official verdict was issued by the DOT—East siders prevailed!
DOE: Computers More Important Than Teachers, Schools
Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Education have been talking constantly about the department's budget of late, insisting that they must end the "Last In, First Out" rule (perhaps you've noticed the ads occasionally running on Gothamist?) and putting out scary budget projection after scary budget projection in which they say that unless they get more aid they will have to do things like fire six percent of the city's teachers. So isn't it a little odd that the department is planning to spend more than half-a-billion dollars on technology improvements next year while simultaneously cutting $1.3 billion from its construction budget for the next three years?
What Side Of Manhattan Is Fifth Avenue On Anyway?
One of the best things about Manhattan is the grid, a constant reminder of logic and order in a city which is otherwise filled with questionable logic and a lack of order. But it's always been a bit troublesome trying to pin down what side Fifth Avenue, the dividing line between the Biggie East and Tupac West sides, is on. And now, the confusion over that dividing line has gone too far for one eagle-eyed borough president!
NYPD Rejects Central Park Cycling Crackdown Compromise
Someday this winter's gonna end, and the thousands of new cyclists streaming into Central Park are going to experience first hand what the die-hard all-weather riders have been talking about for months: the NYPD has made ticketing cyclists who blow through red lights a top priority. (Cyclists currently rank much higher on their to-do list than speeding motorists.) And though cyclists are beseeching officials for some kind of common sense compromise, the NYPD has said its committed to upholding the letter of the law, even when the crosswalk is empty.
Trump Tavern On The Green? It Could Happen
Oh, The Donald. Never one to let a little thing like a lease get in the way of his plans, the brazen billionaire yesterday announced he'd come to a deal with the late-Tavern on the Green's old union to operate the tourist attraction, even though he doesn't have a lease for the spot (and the city isn't jumping to give him one).
Fake Cathie Black Twitter Asks The Tough Questions
Now that Cathie Black has taken the helm of the city's public school system, parents and politicians want to make sure she's got her priorities straight. One parent wrote in a survey sent by Manhattan BP Scott Stringer about classroom crowding, saying, "You can have a perfect curriculum and a perfect teacher, but if there are 30 kids in the class, then you don't stand a chance of your child actually getting a good education. The kids in my daughter's class can barely all fit on the rug and still see the board." But according to a Cathie Black Twitter account, she is more concerned with "a) Who is Al Shanker and, b) WHY IS HE VISITING ME IN MY DREAMS?!"
Brave Politician Lived in Second Avenue Subway Blast Zone
For the past two months, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has gotten a taste of what it's like to live on the Upper East Side in the middle of the Second Avenue subway construction shit-storm. And even for a big shot politician insulated up in a tony high-rise, it still tastes like burning! Stringer, whose permanent residence is over in God's country on the west side, temporarily relocated to the east after fire damage rendered his apartment temporarily uninhabitable. According to this cute story in the Times, Stringer was not prepared for the horror that awaited him:
Illegal Sidewalk ATMs Face Extinction With New Bill
Did you know that ATMs are officially not permitted on sidewalks? Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped them from multiplying like bunny rabbits across the city, particularly in the Lower East Side. But the City Council has decided to snuff out this mechanical plague in the least aggressive way imaginable, before it makes all our lives too convenient: yesterday, they unanimously passed a bill to increase the fines on property owners who allow cash machines to be placed on sidewalks outside their property.
The Harlem Hospital Is Not Closing, Repeat Not Closing
The first thing Google suggests when you type in Harlem currently is "Harlem Hospital." So of course locals would be upset at the rumors that the financially troubled hospital would be closing. So let's be clear everybody: Harlem Hospital is not closing. It is just, like most hospitals these days, going through a tough time.
Cathie Black Backlash Heats Up!
More people are asking state Education Commissioner David Steiner to deny a waiver that would allow Cathie Black to officially become the city's new Schools Chancellor, despite her lack of education experience. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer announced in a statement, "At 5:30 p.m.today, Borough President Scott M. Stringer will stand with Manhattan PEP appointee Patrick Sullivan to announce a resolution demanding that the Panel for Educational Policy be given the opportunity to consider the issuance of a proposed waiver to chancellor-designate Cathleen Black." The city Legislature's black, Latino and Asian caucus is on the case as well.
BP Stringer Announces "Full On War Against Bedbugs"
Apparently the city's bedbug problem has gotten to be just too much for Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, especially with their recent presence in the city's public schools. He told the Daily News, "I'm calling for a full on war against bedbugs starting in the public school system. We should deal with bedbugs the way we deal with crime spikes, and we need to do it before it gets out of control." Out of control? Where were you all summer, Stringer?
Stringer Calls for an NYPD Bike Lane Enforcement Unit
News flash: Many drivers use bike lanes as de facto parking or driving lanes, and the cops don't do anything about it. That's the takeaway from a new report issued by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who sent staffers to monitor eleven Manhattan bike lanes during recent morning and evening rush hours. What they found may not shock you—except that they actually witnessed two motorists get ticketed for blocking a bike lane! Of course, another 273 drivers were seen blocking bike lanes with impunity, as usual.
Stringer Wants Jobless To Help Homeless
Working off his plan to house the city's homeless in vacant buildings, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer outlined how he would go about collecting a census of the city's empty buildings: hire the jobless! Well, not really, because they'd be volunteers, but it'd at least give them something to do. "The City already dispatches volunteers for its annual street homeless count, so this approach would not be without precedent," he said. "And, to be honest, counting vacant lots isn't rocket science. It would require a minimal amount of training." Training that would include learning to identify when a person is in a room?
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